Loren Adams, President, APWU Local 667, Fayetteville, Arkansas
home: 2430 Twin Oaks Court Fayetteville, AR 72703 phone - home:
(501) 521-0356 fax - same number e-mail: BunkAdams@aol.com
APWU - Fayetteville Local 667
Legal Defense Fund, c/o James Hickman, Treasurer
P.O. Box 654
Fayetteville, AR 72702
Union Leaders Sued by Postmaster
The local union leaders (6 individuals) from all 4 postal unions are being
sued by the postmaster (who is temporarily on assignment to another nearby
city)....as well as the 4 national postal unions. We made an effort to expose
management's misbehavior; the postal service temporarily assigned her to a
town 20 miles north of here (Rogers, Arkansas) with no pay loss.
The former postmaster fired or suspended 18 employees (8 dismissals; 10
suspensions) in a little over a year, mostly for insignificant discrepancies
on applications years old (some very, very old - several years- with
collateral evidence as old as 31 years).
We detected harassment,
intimidation, and abuse of power and thus contacted Little Rock management
first requesting (March 1998) a Work Climate Survey. It was conducted later
in the spring of `98, but Arkansas District refused to release the results for
several months. So, we wrote another letter (this one to Charles Kernan - VP
USPS Southwest Region) in July requesting the results of the survey and asking
that they check in to what's happening in Fayetteville. We compared the
atmosphere here to those of Edmond and Royal Oak preceding open conflict, and
we had reason to believe those similarities. (Employees who lose their homes
and savings as a result of unjust firings or suspensions would naturally be
volatile -- and were!!)
Dallas management sent Crisis Management Team in and
team interviewed several employees (selected first at "random" which, after
study, seemed "loaded"). The Crisis Management Team in July retrieved ample
information from employees upon which to base report. (We still do not have
results of that particular report.) The Work Climate Survey from April was still not released by Little Rock, so
we wrote another letter in August. Then after it was released under pressure,
District management insisted on bringing postmaster back despite recognized
potential for unchecked vengeance on her part.
So, in letter of August 31st
we again appealed to management to not return her to Fayetteville because of
her potential for vengeance. Management sent her to Rogers on temporary
assignment (postmasters switched places). She did not lose her job, and even
if she had, unions do not have authority or power to remove postmasters.
All 6 of us were officially served lawsuit papers on Valentine's morning and
are given only 20 days to respond. We didn't expect it to go this far, but it
did....she is determined to damage all those who exposed her.
A national APWU
leader let me know recently there have been similar cases over the country but
they've all been dropped at some point. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the 6
local leaders are NOT cash rich and don't have money to burn. This is
comparitively a small area (Northwest Arkansas); the locals are tiny compared
to large cities. We live hand-to-mouth, as ordinary families do in America.
Our locals are small and do not have large accounts, only enough to sustain
them for ordinary business. Besides, we as individuals don't feel like
spending a red cent on this bogus, unjust case for a person seeking pure
vengeance or harassment.
But another obstacle in the road is how we are not being supported from
national -- neither NALC, Rural Carriers or APWU hdqts. (I don't know how
mailhandlers headquarters is handling case). The 6 individual local union
leaders are being hung out to dry, the way I see it. Wednesday afternoon 4 of
us met with an attorney (Jim Nickels - AFL-CIO lawyer out of Sherwood,
Arkansas) while he was at other office here in Fayetteville at 4 pm; he said
he's charging us (to start) $5,000 retainer. At one time we THOUGHT NALC
would back their local president, but no, not the case. So thus far all 4 of
our national headquarters are leaving it up to us to carry the ball.
So Nickels will only take case if we produce $5,000 by next Tuesday, February
23rd. Lawsuit must be answered by March 4th, which leaves little window for
attorney to respond in time. Jim Nickels, attorney, is requiring $5,000 retainer by Tuesday, February 23rd,
to represent us PLUS $400 per month additional, PLUS other costs.
Jim Nickels is law professor with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
specializing in labor law. He represents AFL-CIO for state of Arkansas.
As I said, he is requiring $5,000 retainer by next Tuesday to take the case.
He states case (if not dismissed by judge in first round) may cost up to
$15,000. This if for all parties (individual local union leaders) combined.
He said he will also file countersuit on our behalf.
We have set up defense fund. APWU - Fayetteville Local 667
Legal Defense Fund, c/o James Hickman, Treasurer
P.O. Box 654
Fayetteville, AR 72702 Members of APWU nationwide may send donations to that address; or Jake Jackson
may wish to set up national account elsewhere for this purpose and for
defending other cases like this over the country.
I can see how no one in the future will want to be local union leader.
If we're left alone to fight battles with no support system, how could we think
otherwise? However, if individual union members band together (despite lack
of support from any national office) this could compensate.
We will mount national fund-raising campaign. Your assistance is most
urgently needed and appreciated.
Loren Adams, President, APWU Local 667, Fayetteville, Arkansas
home: 2430 Twin Oaks Court
Fayetteville, AR 72703 phone - home: (501) 521-0356
fax - same number e-mail: BunkAdams@aol.com
Our local is small (135 members). We do not have office phone.